Criterion takes total control of Need for Speed franchise

The Need for Speed franchise, which has seen games being developed by several studios in the last few years, will now be under the total control of Criterion.

Speaking with Game Informer, studio vice president Alex Ward said, “It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it - it's definitely a Criterion gig now.”

While Ward didn’t specifically mention that each new game in the annual NFS series would be wholly developed by Criterion, he did say, “Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future,” adding, “I'm personally involved in how the cars drive, how the game will play out, how connected they are, and what the features are.”

The creators of Burnout are currently working on Need for Speed: Most Wanted, and before this released Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in 2010.

Ward, however, asserted that Criterion had not forgotten about the Burnout franchise, but he didn’t divulge too many details about its future either. “I think something big will have to happen soon to enable us to do some of the things we want to do,” hinting perhaps that the next Burnout title would arrive on next-gen platforms.

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